Technical Help from the Solid Axle Corvette Club

To submit a technical question regarding a 1953 to 1962 Corvette, simply email
sacctech@solidaxle.org. Please put "sacctech" as the subject.

Keep in mind that members enjoy a wealth of information via the SACC quarterly magazine, On Solid Ground. Here are some of the topics contained in the Spring, 2008 issue:

Hi,

I am searching for a correct dated block for a overseas friend with a
62. I know that NCRS accept the a 6 months cast date difference to the
cars build date but I am trying to understand how long a block sat prior
to being assembled.

Approximate birthday for 05443 is January 15, 1962 according to the
birthday calendar.

I have seen different articles about correct numbers matching straight
axle cars that have different time spreads between the casting date and
the build date.
Would 14 days between casting and build be too close for 1962?
What would be the normal spread for a 62 of this period?

The UAW contract states that the workers had a half day on Christmas Eve
and New Years Eve with a full day for Christmas Day and New Years Day.
that would add a total of 3 days during the Christmas Holiday.

I saw you answer about a 59 motor and you gave advice that it would be a
month between cast and build. This adds to my confusion.

Any help would be great fully received.

Thank You
Tony

Hi: I am unsure when G.M. starting casting the 870 block. A guess would be
early in 61 for test purposes. The first production 62 Corvettes were
assembled in St. Louis in mid August of 6l. That will tell you that the
motor assembly would be in July of 6l. NCRS generally will allow a 6 months
window on the casting date of the block. ( in your case that would be a July
61 cast dated block up to December 61 for the window.) A January 62 cast
dated block will be too late ( in most cases) for the car assembly date mid
Jan of 62. The 870 Block was used in many different vehicles starting for
the model year 62. Have the block tested before shipping. Let me know if
you need additional data. Thank Larry

i need some advice. have a '62 that i've been rebuilding for 17 years. got it finished and tried to align the front end and it was so far out that neither caster or camber could be adjusted within spec. all shafts and bushings are new, crossmember and control arms are used but new to the car. right spring tower needed a repair 'bung' welded in for the upper shaft. right side is farther out than left. a friend of mine with a state of the art body shop says it won't be a problem to flex the crossmember to bring both sides within adjustment range on his frame rack with laser/digital locating system.

is this the best way to deal with the problem? does anyone make crossmember to frame shims that would correct the problem? i put new, factory spec, shims in when i rebuilt the front end. is there someone i could talk to who really knows old chevy front ends? vette service manual says to recenter the control arms on the tower, 'bear' brake and alignment book suggests bending the crossmember. i don't want to do anything until i know what i'm doing.

greg

From Larry Richter, Founding Sacc Treasurer

Hi; I agree with your friend with the laser/digital system and a four wheel alignment. You may have more problems then with the front end ( ie the frame) if the frame needs adjusting it will move the body panels around. This means that the fit on the body will be off. It may even crack some of the fiberglass.

Suggestion. First have him see if it is the front end in and of itself. If it is, and you have the new correct parts it should ( note should) be corrected. If not and you need to do some frame adjustment you may have a serious problem. Some of the problem may in the alignment of the real axle. I just follow the Assembly manual with the front end rebuild, correct parts, and a good frame shop.

All old car restorations should start with a four wheel laser alignment and then fit the body to that frame. Who knows how many accidents the auto was in. Be careful and let me know. Thanks Larry

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Hi.....I am trying to find where I could obtain an exploded view of the shifting mechanism for my 55 corvette.....even a hand drawn picture would be great.....Thanks for any assistance.....Denny

From Max Brockhouse, SACC President

Your best bet would be to purchase the 55 info book(s) from NCRS or buy the assembly books from Corvette Central or Mid America.

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Hello…I recently bought a ’61 with a 350 in it…..the tires are not original with P215/65 R15’s on it….I would like to replace with original tires, wheels and hubs but am having trouble finding wheels that will work…do you have a suggestion as to where? Cokers was no help with the wheels….thanks, Jerry

Hi: Original wheels for 56 to 62 Corvettes are the same as 55 – 56 Full size car. For Corvettes they were welded and most of the car ones were riveted. From the outside they look the same. You should be able to find lots of them. Have the wheels balanced first. You need to get P-205 75 R 15, these are about 3/8 of a inch shorter in height than the original 6:70. The 205 works really great with a six inch rim ( see a detailed map of the wheels in a issue of Straight Talk about a year ago written my me. )all info is in the article. I have them on my 62 and they drive really nice. Any Questions or comments let me know. Many Thanks Larry

I have a problem that is driving me nuts. I have a '61 vette, with a 350
> crate motor. I have an overheating problem. it is ok when driving, but,
> when I get in stop and go traffic, or stop at a long stop light, it
> overheats. I replaced the copper radiator with a Dewitt aluminum radiator.
> I was told the car would run 20% cooler. WRONG. tried water wetter, NO!
> tried several different rad. caps,, nope. replaced fan and fan clutch with
> a
> six blade flexlite fan with spacer, no. tried 180 thermo, no. tried 165
> thermo, no. replaced fan clutch, still overheats. I have a shroud. the
> motor has only a few thousand miles on it. (when I bought the car, it had
> a
> 327 motor in it, and it overheated.) when I first got the car, there was
> no
> recovery system, the first time I would take the car out, like to a show
> and
> park, the radiator would always puke. it did this no matter if the coolant
> was low, or up to the top, didn't ,matter. It also did it with the new
> motor. I now have a recovery tank on it. I gave up and took it to a shop.
> it was running at 165deg. we let it idle for about ten minutes, and the
> temp
> gage buried past 220. when I shut it off, it blew the cap off the plastic
> recovery tank, and puked all over. I left it with the shop, and after a
> lot
> of money spent, it still overheats. the shop suggests using a 7 blade fan,
> but if a 6 blade didn't work, why would a 7? there other suggestions were
> to seal the narrow gap between the radiator, and the fan shroud, or to
> call
> De Witt and get an electric fan to mount on the radiator.
> Any suggestions?
> thanks, Chuck.

From Larry Richter, Founding Treasurer, SACC
Hi: It appears that with all that you have done with the cooling problem,
you may have an internal engine problem. Could be (1) timing - too far
advanced (2) vacuum, or lack of it (3) A Crack in a head or block that
only opens up with heat, have a leak down test preformed when the engine
is hot, and exhaust gas test in the radiator. (4) timing chain one
tooth off (5) exhaust manifold or pipe blockage
Any good shop should be able to perform most of the tests

Let me know what you find Thanks Larry

I have a 1962 corvette with a tired NOM. I want to install a new Ram Jet
> >350 GM Crate motor. I need to know if this engine can be installed without
> >having to modify the hood to allow clearance for the fuel injection unit?

From: Larry Richter, founding Treasurer, SACC

Hi: That is a good question. I should fit , but you may want to take some
measurements first. a. The motor mounts to the top of the engine on both the
new and old engine. b. the set back on the engine for firewall clearance. c.
height of the new and old motor. d. does the new motor need a adaptor to
bolt on the early fuel injection unit. e. and several more. Thanks Larry

How difficult is it to install a quick steering adaptor, and is it worth
>> the
>> effort?
>> Thanks, Chuck

From Noland Adams,
President Emeritus

Chuck,

The fast steering adaptor is quite easy to install. First, remove the tie
rod ends from the third arm. Then install the adaptor, which uses those
original holes. Attach the U-bolt around the third arm, and install the
original tie rod ends in the adaptor. Next, you're going to drive slowly to
the closest wheel alignment shop, where you will need the toe-in corrected.
If you don't drive slowly, you'll lose a lot a valuable tread.

I installed a quick steering adaptor on my 1957 Corvette back in the good
old days, which was an early model with 270 hp and a 3 speed transmission.
Is it worth it? That's something you will have to answer to your
satisfaction after it's installed. You'll find the steering is very stiff
when the Corvette is stopped or moving at a low speed. After about 20 mph or
so it becomes easier to steer, and it's a real pleasure at highway speeds.
After I got used to the quicker steering, I would not have considered going
back to the stock ratio.

One little trick that will help you steer easier at a vehicle speed of 5 mph
or less is to run 5 to 6 more PSI in each front tire. You'll drive more on
the center crown of the tire which lowers friction. However, it's not enough
to effect handling and traction safety.

Good Luck!

Later, Noland

Hi Assuming your entire front end is in perfect condition ( most are not unless a recent rebuild). It is not too bad. You will need a four wheel alignment after it is installed. It will drive different so be careful on the highway until you and the car get to know one another. I personally do not like them unless you are doing some type of racing or auto cross events. Thanks Larry

On a 1961 Corvette, does the interior door lock knob point to the front or rear of the car? I keep getting contradictory information and have now come to the source of all knowledge on our favorite car.

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This is the folder that came in all new Corvettes years 1957 to 1962, the "Original Owners", by mailing in the Corvette News Post Card, that was attached to the front of their Corvette's Owners Manual would receive back the folder that was titled: Exclusively for Corvette Owners, this contained the following items:

Any additional detailed information/pictures you can supply would very much be appreciated. Also, if you can or would direct me to a site that could give me the additional information or e-mail any documented photos of any of the items or printed material listed it would be great. This above listed information is the best I have at present and time and I have no documentation or proof to back any of it up. I really, need some close-up details of the original items and written material to justify the extreme asking price for this folder and contents. I haven't first hand knowledge or any expertise with this type of material, but would be happy to supply any gained information or identification from the purchase of this material with you if I do complete the purchase. I have 1957 Fuel Injected Corvette, and most of the information, about this folder was told to me by the original owner. He has long since passed away, I didn't really realize at the time of our discussion about the folder. It was just a conversation at the time, general information that I was getting from him. I have really attempted to keep the car original and pass it on to my boys, so many of the cars have been revised and cut-up for parts and customized.

I remember the Corvette Owners package very well. I worked in the parts department of the local Chevrolet dealer at the time, and my every day driver was a 1953 Corvette. Whenever anything Corvette-related came to the dealership, I got it. There was an original announcement sent out to all Chevy dealers, and I filled out and sent the form in to Chevrolet. Copy machines were not common in 1957, but now I wish I had kept a copy of that announcement somehow. In the process of four moves, my Corvette package got separated, and then lost.

However, I do recall the package very well. It seems that the letter with the package stated that you were fortunate to own a Corvette, Etc. I don't have any photos or other information to share with you. I remember that the patch had a lot of gold threads in it, and it really looked good!

You didn't mention the asking price for this package. Remember, as you stated, it's an old and hard-to-find package. However, due to its rarity, I expect the seller could ask just about any unreasonable amount, and someone would be willing to pay that amount. Just remember that this is old and fragile materials. You'll want to store it in a sealed frame, mounted on acid-free paper. Any good photo frame shop can direct you how to store these valuable items.

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I own 1959 Corvette #6655, with a build date somewhere around April 17, 1959. After searching for 15 years, I finally found what I believe to be a correct numbers matching block. It is a #519 block with casting date B109. The stamp pad has the original stamping F310CS ( which works for my original 290 horse FI car). My question is in regards to the correct heads to use. It is my understanding from reading your Restoration Guide- Vol. 1 that the #3755550 head was used until assembly date 3/9, and after that the #3767465 was used which makes that a possibility for my block's 3/10 assembly date.

From Noland Adams, President Emeritus, Solid Axle Corvette Club,
Author, Member, National Corvette Museum Hall of Fame

Since the heads were installed on the engine when it was built on March 10, the heads must precede that date. After being cast, the heads are inspected, machined, and assembled. Each of these three processes takes time- at least two weeks. So you are looking for a set of '59 heads that were cast before the approximate date of Feb. 20, 1959. The code would be B209, both the dates on both heads could vary as much as two weeks, as long as they both are dates B209 or earlier.

You should not be concerned with the casting numbers of the heads as much as the casting dates. The head casting line usually did not make a complete changeover, as the dies for the heads are a complex marching job. Therefore, the heads could be 550 or 465- surely the supply line of 550 and 465 heads became mixed after the inspection, machining, and assembly processes. So look for heads with the "right" casting date for your engine. It is possible that the heads were cast after the block.

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